RACISM

At the time of the press conference on Wednesday morning, Sharpton said he had not received any explanation from the New York Post nor an apology. The editor in chief of the Post, Col Allen, said in a statement, "The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Con- necticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."

In response, Sharpton said at the press conference, "That's not clarification at all. How do you mix that? To say that I am a publicity hound, that is correct. I seek to get all of the publicity I can on injustice. That's what activists do. I'm a very proud publicity hound."

"This cartoon is racist, vile and disgusting," decried Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries. "It is offensive to me as a Black man. It is offensive to me as an American. It is offensive to me as someone who represents a community that has been victimized by police brutality. The election of President Obama demonstrates that we have made significant racial progress in this country. This cartoon, which portrays our president as a monkey, demonstrates that we still have a long way to go. The New York Post should issue an immediate apology."

Read the opinion of our Publisher Elinor Tatum regarding a very bad day in the history of the New York Post here.